


Always

by Waxa



Series: Clexa Week 2018 [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clexa Week 2018, Clexaweek2018, Day 2, F/F, Happy Ending, Mistaken For A Couple, little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 11:38:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13810395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waxa/pseuds/Waxa
Summary: Day 2 ClexaWeek2018:  Mistaken for a CoupleThey’ve been friends since childhood; some things happen that make them realize what they were to each other all along.





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> Flashback is in italics.

"How did you find me?” Lexa cleans all evidence of her crying with the sleeve of her shirt, but she knows Clarke has already seen her. It's not that she doesn't want her friend seeing her cry; she has seen her at her worst. Usually, her tears have to do something with The Notebook movie or when she's really drunk and emotional or when she's feeling too much but deep down knows it's not enough, and Clarke has seen it all, but this.

This shows her how weak she was, how foolish she rendered herself at the hands of someone who eventually broke her heart despite her best friend growing concern for it. This shows her she was right and she's not capable of knowing what comes next after some truths were laid in front of her.

"You're forgetting I showed you this place, so this is technically mine." Clarke smiles while she takes a seat beside her. She gently wipes her tears with her sleeve and a laugh, the mess Lexa made on her face after she tried to wipe off the evidence of her crying.

Her friend can't help but make a comment about that, so she softly whispers. "You look like a raccoon." To which Lexa pouts but she can't help it either and laughs quietly, amidst a new set of threatening tears.

"I don't know why I came here honestly." Lexa looks down to her feet, then around the secret tree house on the outskirts of town.

They're surrounded by trees, forgotten toys, couple of empty bottles of liquor and brand new ones, a packet of Davidoff with only a couple left, most of confidential letters between them, memories and photos stacked on the wall and now silence.

"I do." Clarke says after a while. Lexa turns to look at her for the answer when Clarke picks up a photo from the wall of the two of them when they went to prom together, of course as 'friends'.

No one and I mean no one believed them when they went together as ‘friends’. Often mistaken as a couple was usual for them, but prom was a whole new level and they never touched the subject again.

"Remember the night before our prom?"

"How could I forget? I was mad that I got dumped the night before." Lexa sighs, remembering that day and as they sit reminiscing something so akin to what is happening now makes Lexa sigh even more.

"And you escaped and came right here because you didn't want anyone to talk to you."

"Not everyone, not you."

Clarke nods, because she knows.

That's the real reason why Lexa went to their tree house, the reason why they went after prom and the reason they kept on coming to the tree house even after a significant time has passed.

Lexa now admits to herself at least that she knows the real reason why she came here, just for Clarke to come find her.

“And then I asked you to prom and you said yes.”

“And I said yes.”

They couldn’t help but remember what happened then.

* * *

_“Oh honey, you look so beautiful.” Abby exclaimed as soon as she opened the door. Lexa as usual blushed under the compliment and gave her a small smile._

_“Thank you.”_

_“Clarke should be here any minute now.” Despite knowing that, Lexa still felt more reassured that she wasn’t going to be stood up, even if it was her best friend she was going with but still a little voice in her head, a mean one at that always told her that she wasn’t good enough and that Clarke was going to leave her too._

_“I-“ Before she could ask how they were doing Abby pulled her into a hug._

_“I’m so glad you’re finally together.” Abby spoke to her with gentle hands on her cheeks. “Jake and I thought you girls would never admit it until 30. I said twenty five but we’re both glad it didn’t took you that.”_

_Lexa didn’t know what to say to that. I mean sure, she could’ve said that it wasn’t a date and she wasn’t in love with her best friend but it seemed pointless to not admit that she was hoping for the night to become a date and to say that she wasn’t in love when it’s all she could feel for her best friend. “Abby, this isn’t-“ Even if she could form the next words of the sentence she couldn’t help but stop when Jake came into the room with a knowing smile on his face._

_“Oh my future daughter in law, you look stunning!” He greeted her with a hug._

_“I-daughter-I don’t hmm“ Lexa stuttered all the way through her rebuttal and kept on when she looked up when she heard footsteps on the banister._

_“Dad, what did you do to my best friend?” Clarke said, her voice laced with mirth._

_It was worrying as to how many times in the night Lexa had been rendered speechless since she was the president of several clubs and the debate team. It was pathetic but this time it wasn’t because she was trying to find the words to explain, this time it was because she could find the words but they wouldn’t even fit the way Clarke looked that night._   
_She was beauty, she was grace and Lexa was so gay._

_“Don’t you mean your future wife?” Jake joked and if Lexa wasn’t fast enough (thanks to being in the soccer team) Clarke would’ve fallen flat on her face on the last steps of the stairs. But Lexa was fast and she caught her best friend on time, like one of those romantic movies where someone trips and the other one is there to catch them, and they would stare in each other’s eyes for so long that time is just a concept and-_

_There’s a clearing of a throat behind them and they hurry down to separate themselves even if it is the last thing they want._

_“What did you just say that?” At least Clarke found her voice to say that, Lexa is relieved._

_“I said-“ Abby looked from her to her daughter and then to her again and widened up her eyes before she interrupted her husband, finally catching up to their mistake. Who could blame her, when Clarke came the other day to tell them that she was taking Lexa to prom, she looked so happy and so excited by the prospect that her and Jake thought it meant finally the so long waited date._

_“He said that you girls look so pretty tonight.” Abby gave him a pointed stare and he nodded in confusion only._

_“Yeah, you look beautiful Lex.” Clarke finally turned and admired her, pinching her blushing cheeks in jest._

_“You look beautiful too.” Lexa said back, and going by the blinding smile she got in return she made a mental noice to say it all night._

_“Ok, I need a photo please.” Jake asked as he took his professional camera from the confines of his backpack._

_“Just one dad.” Clarke groaned knowing that just one wasn’t never just one with her dad. Lexa knew it but she was prepared for it, in fact she was looking forward to have more captured memories of that night, even if it is one she would later try to forget._

* * *

_By the time they arrived, fashionably late as usual, per Clarke’s standards. Their friends were already inside and Clarke could tell it was a relief for Lexa. She took her hand absentmindedly, since she has always taken her best friend in hers as long as she can remember and leaded them into the doors of the dance._

_Polis went all out for their senior prom. Well, maybe her and the prom committee went all out for their last prom._

_Lexa gave her a reassuring smile that she was fine when she made them stop just outside of the ballroom. “If by any point in the night you want to go just tell me Lexa.”_

_“I will.”_

_“Promise.”_

_“I promise.”_

_“Ok then, let’s get this party started!” She exclaimed as she pushed the doors open. Lexa laughed and close the distance to her ear since the music was too loud for them to talk normally. “It already started.”_

_Clarke laughed when Lexa rolled her eyes._

_They were literally two minutes in searching for their group of friends when many people turned their heads to see them and whisper something about the way they were holding each other’s hands, about the way they were dressed and about how easy and fast was for Lexa to move on since her break up._

_Just a few of them were brave enough to tell them to their faces, or well Clarke’s because they were so intimidated by ‘the commander’._

_One of them was Harper who took it upon herself to tell her that she always rooted for them as well as the whole school._

_Another one was Maya, who congratulated her and said that she was glad they finally were together._

_And Jasper who already high enough to see stars, took them into a three way hug and whispered in her ear that he won/loss the bet._

_It was nice to hear that they were happy to see them, but it didn’t register to Clarke what type of together they meant until Lexa pulled her closer and laughed naturally when someone was talking to her and nodding along when she said something about Clarke._

_It’s not that Clarke wouldn’t love it for Lexa to be her real date, for prom to be the night she finally confessed her feelings for her best friend but Lexa was fresh out of a long term relationship and was probably still mourning that and of course most important of all that she wouldn’t possibly love her back that way._

_She needed to stop the rumors before they got out of control as she heard someone say that they were together for a long time in secret but just as she was about to let go of Lexa’s hand and put some distance between them, a necessary one to make it seem that they’re just friends, they finally find themselves squished together in a group hug from their close knit and then separated to have more of a private conversations._

_While Raven berates her for not telling her that she was going to prom with Lexa, because of course she knows about her secret crush, Octavia punches her, literally in the arm which starts to form a purplish color for making her loose the bet. (What’s up with all those bets?)_

_Anya, Lincoln and Luna do the same with Lexa, or well she can assume since Lexa hasn’t stopped blushing ever since._

_And Bellamy, her must trusted confidant just pats her on the back as a congratulatory gesture for finally getting the girl._

_“Guys, we’re not dating!” She finally had the chance to say but they all laugh in her face._

_“Yeah right, and I’m not in love with Anya.” Raven scoffed and then froze when she finally registered what she just blurted out._

_“So, you are in love with me.” Anya came behind a mumbling Raven before she took her away._

_“What were you guys talking about?” Lincoln asked as he stepped behind Octavia and laced his arms around her middle, earning a glare from Bellamy._

_“About how Clarke and Lexa are not on a “date”. She emphasizes the word date with hand quotes. “We’re not.” Clarke defends her posture but everyone keeps on scoffing at that._  
  
_“Everyone knows that if you go to prom with someone it means a date.”_

_“No, who said that?” Clarke asked with an added bonus of rolled eyes._

_“But that doesn’t mean that you don’t want it to be.” Octavia pointed out and if Lincoln wasn’t holding his arms around Octavia she would already be dead. After all Lincoln is one of Lexa’s best friend and she didn’t want her to know just yet, or from someone else from that matter. But Lincoln, oh so perceptive Lincoln didn’t even flinch or made a comment, as he looked like he already knew._

_Of course he did._

_Of course everyone knew._

_But still she didn’t want to let it be on the open. “Of course no! We’re just friends, friends! I don’t like Lexa like that.” She said friends a little bit louder so that nearby curios standers could hear her._

_“So if you don’t like Lexa like that you wouldn’t mind her talking to her ex right now.” Bellamy pointed with his head towards where her best friend was._

_And she was indeed talking to her ex._

_“I-she-what does she want?” If looks could kill Lexa’s ex would’ve been obliterated._

_“I don’t know maybe get back together since you’re definitely not on a date and you’re just friends.” Raven out of nowhere came back with her girlfriend and with her opinion._

_Clarke refrained to roll her eyes again, but it was impossible as Lexa took one step back and her ex took one forward clearly not understanding the situation._

_As her best friend, she had to do something right? The answer resonated in her head for a couple of seconds before she stormed off to where Lexa was._

_“Hey Lex, you ready to dance?” She asked with no disregard towards the fake blonde who glared at her and the way that her hand found it’s place in Lexa’s._

_“Yeah,” She only gave a tiny nod to her ex and gripped her hand harder in thanks._

_“I didn’t know what to do so thank you.” Lexa pulled her further into the dance floor, away from the girl in question but into another thing._

_“You make the greatest couple ever.”_

_“I always knew you looked great together.”_

_“I haven’t seen you this happy.”_

_Comment after comment came and it was sort of a whirlwind of congratulatory words and awkward thank you’s that finally got them into their own heads._

* * *

_If it weren’t for Jasper and Monty’s spiked punch or the unfinished bottle that was finished later that night, Clarke wouldn’t have consider the idea to tell her the weird things that kept on happening or well to tell her what those things were._

_They were on the tree house, just as the night before where a tipsy Clarke asked a drunk Lexa to prom._

_They were the first couple there and where just merely waiting for the rest until everyone decided where to next._

_So considering all things, Clarke couldn’t help but asked if Lexa found it weird what everyone has been saying about them._

_“Did you ever think about this as a date?” Clarke said, hoping her tone wouldn’t give her away since it was sort of a massive question without really being one._

_“Date? Tonight?” Lexa asked, a hiccup followed after._

_“Yeah, I mean I don’t know.” Clarke shrugged it off as if it wasn’t important._

_“Did you ask me out?” Lexa looked like a deer in headlights, and Clarke couldn’t help but feel bad to make her feel that way. So she lied. “Hmm no, no, no.”_

_One was fine but three no’s where far too much._

_“Oh.” Lexa said dejectedly but Clarke didn’t pick that up since she was looking away._

_“Is that a good oh or…”_

_“It’s just an oh.”_

_“I mean have you heard what they were saying tonight?”_

_“No? What were they saying?” Lexa feigned not knowing what everyone kept on whispering behind their backs, commenting on their faces and throwing lies to her heart._

_“Nothing, forget it. I’m just glad that I was with you.” Even if it was an honest statement neither could feel glad how it ended._

_“Yeah, me too.”_

_Maybe someday it will end up differently._

_They could only hope._

* * *

"I'm here." Clarke says a while later, she opens her arms and Lexa immediately settles against her.

Somehow they end up on the floor with her backs against one of the walls. Still intertwined, Clarke tries Lexa to keep up with her own pattern of breathing when Lexa finally lets her see her crying.

"She left me Clarke." It pains her to say that, at least out loud.

"It was for the best." Clarke tries to let her best friend know it was for the best, but still she doesn't want to tell her 'i told you so' even if it is implied and that's all Lexa hears. "And she didn't leave you. She wanted you back."

"You think I should give her-" Lexa sniffles through this until the sudden movement of Clarke grabbing her by both shoulders as if she's trying to shake her out of it and saying "Hell no." is what causes her to stop and instead to stare at beautiful and expressive blue eyes.

"She cheated Lexa, she didn't leave you and she didn't even give you a fucking chance." Clarke's clear blue eyes turn a darker shade. "She didn't deserve you then and she doesn't now."

"What do I deserve?" Lexa wonders out loud, even if it was a simple whisper in the dark night, it feels clear for both of them what she deserves.

"We deserve better than that." The we feels so charged, but they both deserve it.

Lexa after trying to conceal her beating heart, utters in the silence. "She told me why she did it."

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe."

"Then tell me."

"Because she thought I did it first."

Clarke scoffs, "Yeah right." Only Costia could come up with the abhorrent idea of Lexa cheating. But the serious face of her best friend stops her not so nice comment but instead says "You're joking?"

"I wish I wasn't." Lexa says it dejectedly.

"How?" Clarke asks, she moves a strand hair out of Lexa's eyes that hides her avoiding green irises.

"She thought that we had something." Blue eyes widen in surprise, but it's only that. She doesn't say anything, she can't. Why would she? She doesn't want to ruin it, them. Lexa takes Clarke's silence as disgust, because why would she notice how lingering their touches are, how borderline ridiculous their connection and affection is. How her heart beats faster with no reason whatsoever when her best friend is near. How everyone and I mean everyone always had mistaken them for a couple, because that’s how good they are for each other.

"Crazy right?" Lexa whispers, but she may as well have thought of it because Clarke doesn't seem like she's listening at all. "I mean why would she think that? I mean we don't...I don't...right?"

"Right." The blonde automatically responds, maybe it's a reflex, maybe it's an automatic self-defense mechanism that makes her say it that way. Both pair of eyes saddens at the thought and it's Clarke who stands quickly and goes to the other side of the room facing away from her best friend to put much needed distance between them before one of them cracks, and Lexa only watches her in silence.

Clarke's shoulders tense, her hands are closed in tight fists and even though Lexa can't see her face she knows she's on the verge of crying. She stands up with the purpose of going where her best friend is and apologize, maybe laugh about it, but she knows it's not the time for it. So after a moment she decides to leave Clarke to her thoughts and does the same, she turns her back on the blonde and stares at the distant lights of Polis that she can distinguish in the open window.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you." Lexa says, a couple of new tears reach the bottom of her jawline and she wipes them quickly. These are more painful that the ones she has shed before.

"Is that the only thing you're sorry about?" Clarke finally turns back, but her heart constricts when she sees Lexa's grip on the banister of the window.

Lexa's answer is soft and surprises her. "No. I'm sorry for what I did to Costia too."

Clarke's heart feels too big for her chest. Her blood is pumping faster through her veins.

Maybe this is it.

Maybe this time they won’t lie.

Maybe this time she will have enough courage to tell her what she has been feeling. "What did you do?"

"I loved you."

"Loved?"

"I Love you."

Clarke can't stand it and strides swiftly and purposefully the last remaining steps. She puts her hands on Lexa's waist. Lexa turns into her, her lips parted to speak, to explain or maybe lie again but Clarke can't take any more of either so Clarke reaches up and swallows whatever Lexa was going to say.

It's not uncertain and tentative and gentle, it's earth-shattering. They've barely made contact when Lexa's hands come up to Clarke's face, and she kisses back like she was somehow meant to do this since, well forever. Clarke's lips are soft, but Clarke's tongue brazes and explores hers. Clarke fastens one hand against Lexa's fine jaw and winds the other through her hair. They both feel light and dizzy and out of their heads.

They pull back at the same moment, look at each other in hazy eyed wonder for a while, to get their breathing back in control and to gain more strength to keep on doing the same.

"I love you Lexa." Clarke murmurs eventually. "I'm so in love with you. I can’t believe that I could actually say it out loud."

Clarke expects questions and incredulity, banter and quips, but instead Lexa is staring at her intently. She's worrying a strand of Clarke's hair between her fingers, and she traces it to its end before staying. "You can't hurt me Clarke. I can't stand it." Her voice is stern and commanding, but Lexa's eyes give her away, all vulnerability and want.   
Clarke smiles, not a reaction one would expect from someone who asked and put herself blindly in her hands. "I would never do that to you."

"Aren't you going to ask me the same?"

"I know you will never do that."

"Either way I promise," Lexa promises quickly. Her thumb traces the curve of Clarke's cheekbone.

"You just broke up with your girlfriend, so what do we do now?"

"Do we have to talk about that?"

She doesn't specify, it's either about her break up which they covered the basics, or the what now? that lingers between them.

"Yes." Clarke simply says, again saying yes to whatever they want to talk first.

"I don't want to take it slow."

"Oh thank god, I wanted this since forever." Lexa arches an eyebrow but instead of teasing her like she wants to she agrees.

“Remember after prom?”

Lexa nods and the movement feels pained. “Yeah.”

“I wanted to say that I wished it was a date as everyone kept on saying.”

“So you did hear them.” She’s talking about all the comments and the whispers and everything that Lexa denied she didn’t hear.

“Yeah, and then you said that you didn’t asked me on a date.”

“I was afraid, but I’m not anymore.”

"We've wasted so much time."

"So much that I don't know why we're still talking."

Lexa smiles without opening her mouth, lips pursed, and Clarke curses in her head because how has she refrained the past ten years by not kissing her damn smile and lips.

Lexa seems to notice the object of Clarke's focus, and it's something new between them because usually she was the one to do that but now, her puffy eyes gleam smugly, a stark contrast of her sad eyes hours ago, and so she leans in, catches Clarke's lower lip lightly with her teeth and then kisses her. Slower than before, like she wants to take her damn time, and now that she can, she does.

"Thank you for finding me."

"Always." 


End file.
